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Environmental Detective Case Studies

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Environmental Detective Case Studies

Read each case carefully. Use clues about water, soil, plants and nearby human activities to identify possible environmental causes. Give evidence for your ideas in the written answers.

Investigate the case clues

Choose the best-supported explanation for each observation.

1.After earthworks begin on a hill above a stream, the water turns brown after rain and fine particles settle on the streambed. Which cause best explains the change?

Soil washed from exposed ground into the stream
A sudden increase in salt from the sea
Fish stirring up the whole streambed
Leaves releasing colour as they decay

2.In a suburban reserve, several trees have wilting leaves. Rainbow-coloured patches appear on puddles beside a newly built parking area after rain. Which pollutant is the most likely concern?

Oil or fuel carried off the car park
Pollen released by the trees
Sand blown in from a beach
Extra oxygen dissolved in the puddles

3.A sandy coast loses plants and sand near a newly built rock barrier further along the shore. Which human action could be altering the movement of sand along the coast?

Building the rock barrier
Planting native grasses on the dunes
Putting up signs to protect nesting birds
Closing a walking track during winter

4.Water testing in a stream beside a livestock paddock finds unusually high nitrate levels. Animals can reach the stream, and stored manure is uncovered nearby. What is the most likely source of the nitrate?

Nutrients washing from manure or fertiliser into the water
The stream becoming colder overnight
Fish moving upstream to spawn
A lack of sunlight in the paddock

Match and explain

Connect investigation methods with what they help a detective find out. Then use evidence to suggest practical next steps.

5.Match each field method with the main purpose it serves.

Measure stream nitrate, pH and water clarity
Compare dated photographs of a beach
Inspect drains and pavement near a car park
Record plant cover along set lines across a slope

Track changes in the shoreline and sand
Compare vegetation cover with signs of soil loss
Check for chemical changes that may affect aquatic life
Look for a route by which oil or fuel could reach plants or water

6.A stream becomes muddy after rain while earth is being moved at a work site uphill. Name two measurements or comparisons a detective could make to test whether the site is contributing sediment. State what each would help show.

7.A farm stream has high nitrate readings, and animals graze close to its banks. Suggest one practical change the farmer could make to reduce nitrate entering the stream, and explain how it would help.

8.Trees beside a new car park are in poor condition, and rainbow-coloured patches appear in nearby puddles after rain. Describe a three-step investigation that could identify a likely pollutant and help prevent further harm.